Non-clogging closure cap

ABSTRACT

A hollow closure cap is removably positioned on the outlet neck of a collapsible container. The interior of the cap provides a space to receive contents of the container which ooze from the neck after the container is squeezed, thus preventing the ooze from gathering on the outside of the neck and interfering with placement and removal of the cap.

United States Patent [1 1 DAmato [451 Dec.4, 1973 I NON-CLOGGING CLOSURE CAP [76] Inventor: Nicholas J. DAmato, 2840 Braidwood Rd., Richmond, Va. 23225 [22] Filed: June 23, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 265,682

[52] US. Cl. 222/94 B65d 35/22 Field of Search 222/108, 562, 130, 222/92, 94, 107, 551, 206; D9/194, 284; 215/38, 43; 141/18, 313, 319-322 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,636,644 4/1953 Taylor 222/92 3,384,542 5/1968 Accetta 222/212 X 2,760,687 8/1956 Spier et al 222/212 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 49,044 7/1938 France 222/206 Primary Examiner-Stanley H. Tollberg AttorneyMunson H. Lane et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT 2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures NON-CLOGGING CLOSURE CAP This invention relates to new and useful improvements in closure caps for containers, and in particular the invention concerns itself with an improved cap for collapsible containers such as tubes of paint, adhesive, toothpaste, and the like, which are squeezed during use in order to expel the contents through the'outlet neck of the container.

The outlet neck is usually externally screw-threaded to match an internally screw-threaded portion of the cap. When in use the container is squeezed to expel the contents thereof, a certain amount of residual pressure remains after the squeezing action is discontinued, and this causes the contents of the container to ooze out of the outlet neck and gather thereon. When a conventional closure cap is subsequently applied to the outlet neck, the ooze has by then been deposited on the external screw-threads of the neck, and this makes it rather difficult to tread the cap into position. Moreover, even when the cap is screwed into place, the ooze remains around the outside of the neck and around the base of the cap with a rather unpleasant resulting appearance. Also, the presence of the ooze between the screwthreads of the neck and of the cap makes it very difficult to subsequently remove the cap for the next use of the container, particularlywhen the contents involved are sticky, such as paint or adhesive.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the invention to eliminate the above outlined disadvantages of conventional closure caps, this being achieved by providing an improved cap which is hollow and its hollow interior defines a space to receive the ooze from the outlet neck of the container, thus preventing the ooze from gathering on the outside of the neck and interfering with placement and removal of the cap.

The closure cap of the invention is very simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and lends itself to use on containers of various sizes and types.

With the foregoing more important object and features in view and such other objects and features which may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference designate like parts, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a collapsible container with the closure cap of the invention thereon; and

FIG. 2 is a somewhat enlarged, fragmentary view of the container in elevation and the closure cap in section. I

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the numeral generally designates a collapsible container such as a tube, containing paint, adhesive,

. toothpaste, or any other such material. As shown in FIG. 2, the container has the usual externally screwthreaded outlet neck 12 through which the contents are dispensed when the container is squeezed. It may be noted at this point that while the container 10 is shown in the form of a collapsible tube, it may also be in the form of a squeezable bottle, or the like, from which the contents are dispensed by finger pressure and which returns to its initial shape when the pressure is relaxed. Thus, to the extent that the container is squeezed or collapsed during the dispensing operation, the term collapsible is used herein to designate both a squeezable bottle type container and a tube type container which is progressively collapsed or folded upon itself after subsequent usage.

In any event, the improved closure cap of the invention designated generally as 13 comprises a hollow body 14 formed integrally with an internally screwthreaded adapter portion 15 for removable positioning on the externally screw-threaded neck 12 of the container 10. The cap body 14 preferably is spherical as shown, but it may have any other suitable configuration, as long as it is hollow and its interior defines a space 16 which is accessible through the passage provided by the internally screw-threaded adapter portion 15. Apart from the passage through the adapter portion, there is no communication between the exterior and the interior of the cap.

To facilitate screwing the cap onto and off the container neck 12, a knurled finger-gripping ring 17 is formed integrally with and extends circumferentially of the cap body 14, as will be clearly apparent.

In use, the cap is removed and finger pressure is applied to the container to eject contents thereof through the outlet neck onto the work. When the pressure is discontinued, the contents do not cease to flow abruptly, but have a tendency to ooze out of the outlet neck and accumuate thereon. When a conventional cap is used, there is no room within the cap to accommodate the ooze and consequently, when the conventional cap is applied to the neck, it causes the ooze to spill around the outside of the neck on the screwthreads. This makes it difficult to apply the conventional cap, to the neck, and also, an unpleasant appearance results from the spilled ooze around the outside of the neck and around the base of the cap. Moreover, the cap is subsequently difficult to remove because of the ooze between the screw-threads of the neck and cap, particularly if the material involved is sticky, such as glue or paint.

However, when the hollow cap 13 of the invention is being applied to the outlet neck 12 after squeezing of the container 10, any ooze accumulated at the end of the neck 12 is received in the space 1 6 within the cap body 14. Thus, the cap does not cause the ooze to spill onto the outside of the neck and screw-threads, and the screw-threads remain clean and unobstructed so that the cap may be easily screwed into position and subsequently removed.

The cap body 14 is preferably sufficiently large so that the capacity of the space 16 is enough to hold all the ooze produced by repeated squuezings of the container until the contents are exhausted. However, if the space 16 should become filled with ooze before the container is empty, some of the ooze in the cap may be scraped out or otherwise removed through the adapter within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. 7

What is claimed as new is:

l. The combination of a finger squeezed collapsible container having an exteriorly threaded outlet neck, and a non-collapsible closure cap removably positioned on said neck, said cap having a cylindrical adapter porpassage and being otherwise imperforate, said outlet neck terminating within said adapter portion approximate the junction of said spherical portion with said adapter portion when said closure cap is fully threadable engaged on said outlet neck.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 together with a finger-gripping ring formed integrally with and extending circumferentially around said cap. 

1. The combination of a finger squeezed collapsible container having an exteriorly threaded outlet neck, and a non-collapsible closure cap removably positioned on said neck, said cap having a cylindrical adapter portion with an internally screw-threaded passage threadably engageable with said outlet neck and an enlarged spherical portion integrally joined to said cylindrical adapter portion, said spherical portion being hollow and defining in its interior a spherical cavity in which contents of the container oozing from said outlet neck may accumulate when finger pressure is removed from said container and having an opening therein providing communication between said spherical cavity and said passage and being otherwise imperforate, said outlet neck terminating within said adapter portion approximate the junction of said spherical portion with said adapter portion when said closure cap is fully threadable engaged on said outlet neck.
 2. The combination as defined in claim 1 together with a finger-gripping ring formed integrally with and extending circumferentially around said cap. 